"Consider putting away your gadgets to savor real life with those you love." (SHS ABM and GA Strands commencement 2023 speech)

Read the full text of the inspirational address of Rosamy “Jing” Castañeda-Velasco (AB Comm '91), Broadcaster/Journalist for ABS-CBN and Program Director for Bantay Bata 163, during the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School Class of 2023 Commencement Exercises for the ABM and GA strands on 27 May 2023.

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Good afternoon, everyone!

Before I begin, I’d like to ask our dear parents and teachers to please rise and join me in applauding our ABM and GA graduates on this very important milestone.

Question: Who among you has used ChatGPT before?

I also tried using ChatGPT and asked for its definition of "Lux in Domino."  

It said, and I quote, “It is a Latin phrase that translates to ‘Light in the Lord’ in English. It expresses the idea of illumination found in the spiritual realm. In the context of faith, it suggests that true wisdom comes from a connection with God. While ‘Lux in Domino’ is not the official motto of the Ateneo, it may be used in certain contexts to convey the university's commitment to seeking knowledge within a spiritual framework.”

Pasado ba si ChatGPT, Fr. Bobby?  Tama ba yung sinabi niya?  Fr. Bobby said, bagsak si ChatGPT because “Lux in Domino” is in fact the official motto of the Ateneo.

I then searched "Down from the hill" and ChatGPT said, and again I quote, “It is not part of the official motto of the Ateneo. The university is often referred to as being ‘on the hill’ due to its location on a hill in Loyola Heights, Quezon City.”

But what ChatGPT failed to add is that “the hill” is central to “A Song for Mary,” one of our school’s hymns. That’s why it starts with “We stand on a hill” and towards the end situates us “down from the hill.” So it’s clear that ChatGPT did not quite capture the true essence of what “down from the hill” means. In today’s context, this is very similar to that often-touted phrase “pagbaba sa laylayan.” That act of immersing oneself into the real world, and communing with the poorest of the poor.

You’re probably wondering why a journalist and communications graduate would talk to GenZs about artificial intelligence. Well, first, because aside from the COVID pandemic, AI is another pivotal phenomenon that will DEFINE your generation.

And second, as a fellow Blue Eagle, I would like for you, the leaders of tomorrow, to consider how you can be a bright light in a digital world dominated by AI.

Your world is becoming increasingly digital. Every day, new and better AI apps are sprouting. In fact, old news na nga ang ChatGPT.  There’s Socratic, Chatsonic, Bing AI, OpenAI playground, etc.  There are also AI technologies that can generate fake images in a matter of seconds, like DeepFloyd. 

At this point, the artificial part of AI is a wild card we can’t fully fathom. Like all things, it has its advantages. For instance, unlike human labor, AI costs less. It doesn’t get tired. It won’t complain. 

But we don’t have a clear picture of its disadvantages as of yet. This is new and – an uncharted territory for all of us.  But it will be YOUR reality, YOUR future. And we don’t know what that reality, that future world will be like for you and your own families years from now. 

What will happen when AI takes the lead in the name of efficiency? What will happen when our humanness becomes irrelevant? 

Like in my industry, for instance. What impact will AI have on media? 

Kristian Hammond — a Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University and Director of The Center for Advancing Machine Intelligence-- predicts that in 15 years, 90% of news will be written by machines. The same goes for marketing and other content. 

In Hollywood where scriptwriters are currently on strike asking for better pay, some tv and movie outfits are already exploring AI-written scripts.

According to Justine Bateman, a former actress who is a coder with a degree in Computer Science, even actors are in danger of losing their jobs. Uso na ang digital-scanning sa Hollywood. Once an actor is digitally scanned, his image or voice can be used to create movies.

In the Philippines, my fearless forecast is this: By next year, AI will be used to imitate the voices of broadcasters like me. Perhaps, even our likeness. So it will seem like I’m the one delivering the news, but it’s actually a digital version of me. So kahit absent po ako o si Kabayan, puwede pa rin kaming magbalita … si Jing Castaneda AI version ang maghahatid ng nagbabagang balita. And perhaps next year, should you invite me to speak again when our second daughter Fiona graduates, through AI, I could still deliver my speech and appear in front of you, even if I’m out of town.

But let’s bring AI’s impact closer to your present context.

In terms of academics, the most obvious downside is that AI can encourage laziness, dishonesty and cheating. It’s very human to want to find the easy way out. But as technology offers more and more conveniences and shortcuts, sometimes I worry that the rise of AI will be the downfall of the human race.

Why? Consider this: Out of all other life forms, only humans have the capacity to dream and create. When you let AI do all your thinking, you stop stretching your imagination and challenging your creativity.  And imagination and creativity are precisely what set us apart from other creatures. Because of them, we’re able to hope, invent, and even empathize by imagining ourselves in another person’s shoes. 

That’s what I mean when I say technology -- especially AI -- could very well lead to our downfall. Though these tools are man-made and are very useful, they have the potential to deprive us of the things that make us human.

When the internet was first introduced, it was meant to bring people closer together, despite distances. But ironically, technology now has a way of keeping us apart. It’s so easy to get lost in our own little bubbles.  We can be physically present, but emotionally distant.  Lahat nakayuko sa kanya-kanyang phone, even if we’re just sitting right next to each other. 

It’s not just sad, it’s a crisis in the making. Because isolation can be a fertile ground for all kinds of emotional and psychological problems.

When I came onboard Bantay Bata 163, we added psychological first aid and counselling to children and families as part of our services. That’s because the local and international health experts I’ve interviewed over the years for my news reports, all said that mental health disorders will be among the top health problems by around 2015. Imagine, it’s now 2023 and their warnings have proven to be true. 

Since the onset of COVID, the incidence of mental health disorders in children and teenagers due to family and parenting issues has been steadily escalating. And the years of lockdowns have played a critical role in this. The pandemic has robbed your generation of the joys, and frustrations, of socializing with your peers. In order to grow, you need to experience both the good and the bad. 

Instead, your generation has grown more accustomed to online interaction rather than real-world shared experiences. It’s no wonder that more and more young people are finding emotional support in the artificial realm instead of the real world. 

Chatbots are now becoming virtual companions and surrogate BFFs. In the US, there’s a growing trend for people with mental health issues, including children, to resort to using AI companionship apps for emotional security and validation. In countries like Italy, chatbots that offer virtual friendship services have already been banned because some emotionally vulnerable people, especially kids, have already become addicted to these artificial interactions.

Now it’s sad enough when children seek emotional support from people other than their family. But it’s downright tragic when they’d prefer to find solace and ask advice from AI apps.

One thing’s for certain though. No matter how advanced they may become, AI can never replace human warmth and wisdom. Precisely because they’re artificial.  Chatbots can or virtual friends never give genuine concern. They can just mimic it. They will never be able to sympathize and empathize because they don’t have the benefit of human life experiences, let alone emotions. 

True, hindi sila mang-aaway.  You can always just switch them on when you need them. But machines will never be able to truly touch your heart nor your spirit, because they have neither.  So they will never be able to give you genuine feedback, tough love, or even a rude awakening, even if they’re needed. They will never replace the warmth that human love can give, especially the kind that your family can give you.

On May 5, 2020, ABS-CBN lost its franchise and the network was shut down. Over 5,000 employees lost their jobs. Over 5,000 employees went home, devastated, that day. With the sudden unemployment, most were plunged into financial crisis, unsure how they would be able to pay their rent, send their kids to school, or even put food on the table.  Noong araw pong iyon, marami po sa amin ang umuwing humahagulgol, tuliro, problemado, at tanging ang yakap ng mga pamilya at pagdamay ng mga asawa’t anak ang nagbigay sa amin ng lakas.  Ang pagmamahal ng pamilya’t mga kaibigan ang nagsisilbi pa ring tungkod na hanggang ngayon ay umaalalay sa aming lahat. Yan po ang kahit kailan ay hindi maibibigay ng AI. 

Though technology will forever be a part of your reality, do not to let it dominate any aspect of your life, most of all your mental well-being. Let it just be a tool to serve your purpose. It is only there to ignite your passions. Use it to make your light burn brightly for the service of others. 

At this point, you’re all on the verge of adulthood. Four more years or so, and you will truly go down from the hill. As you prepare to conquer the world, please always remember to also value people, your family and friends. I cannot stress this enough. Value people — not AI, not technology — but human beings. 

Beginning today, let us all be more present and in the moment for each other.  Start by putting away those gadgets. Magkumustahan tayo, magkuwentuhan. 

Because if we don’t, then five, maybe 10 years down the road, our families may not have anything to hold it together.   And fractured families will make our already damaged society all the more broken and isolating. 

So again, our dear graduates, don’t become attached to your tech at the expense of your relationships!!! I challenge you to be there for each other. Seize every opportunity to build memories together, to dream together, to become each other’s strength and sanctuary. 

That way, should you ever fall to your lowest, should you ever feel your light ebbing, you are guaranteed to have a strong support-network that will buoy you up and add kindling to your flame. Kayo-kayo mismo ang magpapatatag sa isa’t isa, kayo-kayo mismo ang magpapaliyab ng inyong dilaab!

Before we end, I have another confession to make -- I don’t remember who gave the commencement address in my past graduations, let alone what was said. So it is my sincere wish that, years from now, you will still carry with you a little bit of what I’ve said today.  Kahit kalimutan na ninyo ako! I pray that every time you pick up your phone or whatever device, every time you use an AI app, the challenge I’ve posed today will somehow come to mind. 

And should you remember, I hope that you’ll consider putting away your gadgets to savor real life with those you love.

As you walk your life’s path in and out of your digital world, it will be the well-traveled-roads shared with your loved ones that will always, always lead you back home. GPS can’t do that for you. Only your heart can.

Your families will always be here to support and prepare you to one day conquer the skies. But don’t forget that you are meant to always land…  down the hill, to where you can make the most difference.

Strive to become a part of something bigger than yourself. And let your flame burn sooo brightly, it can be seen from the heavens and down to the ground, all for God’s greater glory. 

So last request, graduates – pls. rise and join me in applauding your parents and all those who make up your second family here at the Ateneo.  Sabayan ninyo ako sa pagsasabing –

Maraming salamat po! Mahal ko po kayo!!

CONGRATULATIONS,

ATENEO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CLASS of 2023!!